Gaseous electric discharge lamp device



March 13, 1934. H. EWEST El AL 1,951,138

GASEOUS ELECTRIC DISCHARGE LAMP DEVICE Filed Dec. 16, 1932 INVENTORS9500M 6 ATTORNEY iii Elli

Patented Mar. 113, i934 GASEOUS ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICE Hans Ewest andMartin Reger, Berlin, Germany,

assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation New YorkApplication December 16, 1932, Serial No. 647,634 In Germany December23, 193i 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to gaseous electric discharge lamp devicesgenerally and more particularly the invention relates to such devices inwhich the discharge path between the electrodes is of U shape.

Electric discharge lamp devices having a U shaped discharge path inwhich a partition extends along the axis of the container of the deviceand in which the electrodes are located at one end of the container oneach side oi said partition are now known in the art. The light emissionof such a device is, of course, much greater than a device of the samesize in which the discharge path follows a straight line. The containerwalls of such devices having a U shaped discharge path are at a hightemperature during the operation of the device and this is of advantagewhere the gaseous atmosphere comprises a metal vapor as the metal vaporis then maintained in a vaporous condition in the discharge path.

In prior devices of the above type the partition has been made of anelectrically insulating material, such as glass or quartz, for it wasthought that if the partition were made of. electrically conductingmaterial the electric discharge between the electrodes would beshort-circuited by the conducting partition.

Applicants have demonstrated that such thought is erroneous, at least inconnection with an electric discharge device having certain dimensionsand certain electrical characteristics, and that in electric dischargedevices 0! the above type having the proper dimensions and electricaloperating characteristics a partition of electrically conductingmaterial can be used, and that such a partition has many new andunexpected advantages which will be explained in detail hereinaiter.

The object of the invention is to provide an electric discharge devicehaving electrodes at one end of the tubular container of the device onopposite sides of a partition extending along the longitudinal axis ofthe container in which the partition is made of an electricallyconducting material. Still further objects and advantages attaching tothe device and to its use and operation will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following particular description.

We have discovered that an electrically conducting partition can be usedin electric discharge devices of the above type provided the potentialdrop in the luminous positive column discharge between the electrodes ofthe device is smaller than the anode and cathode potential dropcombined. For example, in an electric discharge device of the above typehaving a neon. filling in which the cathode drop is approximately 90volts and the anode drop approximately 30 volts the potential drop alongthe positive column must not exceed approximately 120 volts for thesuccessful operation of the device. Where such device is mm. in diameterand the current strength is milliamperes a potential drop of 120 voltstakes place in a positive column discharge oi 15 cms. in length and asthe positive column discharge path is of U shape that part oi thepartition extending along the positive column should not be longer thanapproximately 7 cms.

An electrically conducting partition has many important advantages overan electrically insu- 7 lating partition. A metal partition simplifiesand reduces the cost oi. the manufacture of such devices and flts thewalls of the container very snugly to prevent the passage of thedischarge between the edges of the partition and the walls 01 thecontainer. Further, the metal partition i'acilitates the starting of thedischarge between the electrodes of the device in the same manner that ametal wire extending from electrode to electrode in a straight tubulardevice facilitates w the starting thereof. This dispenses with otherauxiliary starting devices.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawingaccompanying and forming part of the specification in which Fig. 1 is aside elevational view oi one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a top sectional view along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a iront elevational view of another to embodiment of theinvention.

Like numbers denote like parts in all the figures.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the the new and novel gaseous electricdischarge device W comprises a tubular container 1 having electrodes 2and 3 sealed into one end thereof and located substantially in the sameplane. A partition 4i,

5 extends along the longitudinal ans of said con tainer l, substantiallyat right angles to the plane too of said electrodes 2 and 3 and islocated between said electrodes 2 and 3. Said partition consists of tworectangular metal plates 4 and 5 having flared edges 7 and 8respectively along their long sides. Said plates 4 and 5 are rigidlyconnected to each other and the flared edges 7 or 8 thereof respectivelyi'ace away from those of the other plate as shown. Having this structurethe partition is flexible so that it is easily inserted in saidcontainerl and is kept in position along the lonaw it gitudinal axis ofsaid container 1 by the edges container 1.

and 8 thereof pressing against the walls'oi? said The container. 1 isfilled with a gas, such as a neon, or a gaseous mixture, such as argonand mercury vapor.

As heretofore pointed out the anode drop plus the cathode drop should begreater than the total potential drop in the luminous positive columndischarge between said electrodes 2 and 3. The length of said partition4, 5 is determined in accordance with this rule as shown by the examplegiven above. W

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 is similar in allrespects to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 except that in this embodimentof the invention a wire mesh, or net!) is used in place of the plates 4and 5 of Fig. 1. The interstices of said net 9 .are too small to permitthe passage of the discharge therethrough. Said net 9 permits the lightemitted by those parts of the luminous positive column discharge facingsaid net 9 to pass therethrough e While we have shown and described andhave pointed out in the annexed, claims certain novel features of. theinvention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutionsand changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and inits use and operation may be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the broad spirit and scope of the invention, for example,the partition 4, 5 has a high polish, where desired, to act as areflector, said partitions 4, 5 or 9 are held in position in saidcontainer 1 by other means other than those shown and described as byfusion to the stem or example.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:-

1. An electric discharge device comprising a straight, tubularcontainer, electrodes sealed therein, a gaseous atmosphere therein, apartition of electrically conducting material therein, and extendingalong the, longitudinal axis of said container said electrodes being inthe same plane, said partition being located between said electrodes andbeing substantially at right angles to the plane of said electrodes, thelength of said partition along the luminous positive column dischargebetween said electrodes being such that the potential drop in saiddischarge is less than the sum of the anode and cathode potential dropin said device.

2. An electric discharge device; comprising a container. electrodessealed therein, a gaseous atmosphere therein, a partition ofelectrically conducting material therein, said electrodes being in thesame plane, said partition having a multiplicity of small perforationstherein and being located between said electrodes and beingsubstantially at right angles to the plane of said electrodes, thelength of said partition along the luminous positive column dischargebetween said electrodes being such that the potential drop in saiddischarge isless than the sum of the anode and cathode potential drop insaid device.

glass wall, for

HANS EWEST. MARTIN REGER..

